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Fort McMurray local faces job losses due to government mismanagement

Edmonton – More than 50 postal workers in Fort McMurray walked off the job this morning to protest contracting out delivery of parcels.

Representatives of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers Local 736, which represents more than 100 workers, say the striking workers are trying to bring attention to how the government has undermined services at the post office. The strike was precipitated by an announcement that parcels would be delivered by outside contractors, a decision that could lead to nine workers losing their jobs.

"This isn't a cost-cutting measure. It's a failure by the local management to retain quality staff," Local 736 president Dana Gabriel said. "The public needs to know what Canada Post is doing to services. We feel bad for the public – they aren't getting the service they should."

The post office in Fort McMurray has seen higher turnover because of a botched route restructuring that has many employees working 10-hour days. A starting wage of $19 has made it difficult to retain new staff in the high-wage, boom economy of Fort McMurray. Additionally, because they're employed by a federal organization, workers for the post office do not get the Northern Allowance that other Fort McMurray residents receive.

"It's never an easy decision to walk out. This is something our membership takes very seriously," Gabriel said, noting that his membership had previously engaged in a two-day wildcat strike in 2007. "People on the picket line are worried – we've already been threatened with five-day suspensions, management was out here reading workers the riot act. It's their fault, but they're making it our problem."

According to the Alberta Federation of Labour, the decision to outsource parcel delivery is symptomatic of a government that puts ideology before practicality.

"Contracting out parcel delivery doesn't make sense," Alberta Federation of Labour president Gil McGowan said. "It's going to cost the Post Office more, service is going to deteriorate, diligent and responsible postal workers are going to lose their jobs, and it won't solve any of the problems with delivery. This is just bad all around."

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MEDIA CONTACTS:

For more information please contact CUPW Local 736 President Dana Gabriel at 780-713-8969

Or Alberta Federation of Labour Communications Director Olav Rokne at 780-289-6528 (cell)

Urgent Action: Alberta embracing The Better Way Campaign

Since April 1, moviegoers all over Alberta have been getting a message on the Better Way Alberta campaign. The message, in which Albertans are "thanked" for giving away their oil and gas so cheaply, has been shown before every movie on 188 screens.

The Better Way Alberta campaign is a collaboration between the AFL and several member unions including HSAA, UNA and CUPE. Advertising, media and our website www.betterwayalberta.com all make the case for sensible budgeting that puts the best interest of people first, and includes research showing that royalties and taxes may need to be increased.

Check out the Better Way Alberta ad

Action Item: 19th Annual Kids' Camp

The AFL Kids' Camp is a five-day event that combines summer fun with educational activities.

The camp, which has been running for 19 years, has become a popular event on the AFL calendar. In 2013, the camp will be themed around the history of labour in Canada.

The camp is open to children of trade unionists belonging to unions affiliated to the Alberta Federation of Labour. Learning is combined with recreational activities such as canoeing, wall climbing, hiking, mine tour, rappelling, group challenges, crafts and swimming.

When: August 5 – 9, 2013

Where: Goldeye Centre near Nordegg on Goldeye Lake

Ages: 8 to 15 years

Forms package to be completed and mailed/faxed to the AFL offices by June 14, 2013

AFL wins battle in fight against exploitation of Temporary Foreign Workers

Recently announced changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker program are a victory for Canadian labour rights.

The Federal government has eliminated the pay differential for TFWs, and indefinitely suspended the fast-track ALMO process for bringing in workers.

Although there is a lot of work left to be done in preventing employers from exploiting people coming to Canada for work, the Alberta Federation of Labour is proud that it has played a key role in bringing to light the ways in which the TFW program is being used to exploit workers and drive down wages.

"Exploitation is fundamentally unCanadian, that's why t this program doesn't sit well with Canadians," AFL president Gil McGowan said. "I'm proud of the work the AFL has done in investigating the TFW program, and proud as a Canadian that the public in this country won't stand for how this program is being used."

The AFL released the latest in a series of reports on the Temporary Foreign Worker program recently, showing that workers are being brought in regardless of prevailing economic conditions. During the recession, Alberta lost tens of thousands of jobs. Yet, employers brought in tens of thousands of Temporary Foreign Workers. In 2011, the economy recovered and began creating jobs. But there was a Temporary Foreign Worker present in Alberta for three of every four jobs created.

Read the complete report HERE.

News

Convention videos online at AFL Youtube channel

If you missed it the first time, you can watch highlights from Alberta Federation of Labour's 48th constitutional convention on the internet.

For the first time, the proceedings have been made available to watch at the federation's youtube channel (youtube.com/ABFedLabour). Talks by speakers such as Allan Gregg, Jim Stanford, and Armine Yalnizyan have already been watched by hundreds of AFL affiliates and allies from as far away as California.

More than 7,000 people have already watched the videos, which were produced with the assistance of United Nurses videographer Jeremy Rittwage and the team from Listen Louder Productions. Videos that feature convention delegates being interviewed about what their unions mean to them are generating upwards of 300.

"There was a focused effort to make this convention relevant to people who couldn't be there in person," AFL president Gil McGowan said. "I'm proud to say that we accomplished that. The feedback from the videos has been extremely positive."

AFL offers solidarity to prison workers in struggle for workplace safety

The Alberta Federation of Labour has raised concerns about the province's handling of a four-day wildcat strike by unionized employees of Alberta's prison system. The four-day strike was sparked by the government's refusal to address health and safety concerns at the new Remand Centre in Edmonton.

After the strike, the government has imposed fines of $450,000, and has sought to suspend the collection of union dues to the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees. Although the AUPE is not affiliated with the AFL, the government's draconian response has raised concern in the broader labour movement about the treatment workers can expect from the provincial Tories.

"Every crisis presents opportunities and this situation is no different. The government could have addressed the workers' legitimate safety concerns in a timely and balanced manner. This would have improved the important relationship between a government and these workers," AFL president Gil McGowan said. "But that opportunity has been squandered by threats, intimidation and now specter of punitive measures against the union. As a result, labour relations are worse now than they were before the strike."

Read coverage of the AFL's solidarity with the striking workers here.

BLOCK the PARTY

Albertans are standing together for a BLOCK (the) PARTY rally from 12-2 p.m. on May 25th to create a block against the policies and recent budget cuts that negatively impact families, the most vulnerable, and all sectors in Alberta.

The rally will be held at 45th Avenue between Gateway Boulevard and Calgary Trail S, just north of the Radisson Hotel, where the Conservative Party will be holding their policy convention.

Come together with other Albertans by the busloads and help us remind our leaders that there is a Better Way!

Did you know ...

• In 2007, Alberta's Royalty Review panel ruled that the province's rate of 58% for natural gas was too low. Today, the rate is 34%.

• Royalty giveaways since 2009 have cost Albertans at least $4.7 billion.

• Three of every four new jobs created in Alberta since 2010 have been filled by workers brought in under the Temporary Foreign Worker program.

Events

• May 22: Shooting the Messenger: The Need for Effective Whistleblower Protection in Alberta, (Parkland) – 7:00 PM Telus Centre, Room 134 U of A (87th Avenue)

• May 23-26: Canadian Association of Labour Media conference (calm.ca/conference)

• June 10-11: AFL Executive Council Retreat (Calgary)

• June 12: AFL Executive Council (Calgary)

• June 14: Deadline to register for AFL Kids Camp

Legislating contract undermines collective bargaining

Edmonton – Legislation to impose a four-year contract on teachers is bad news for workers all over Alberta says the province's largest labour organization.

School boards throughout the province had been given an arbitrary deadline of 3 p.m. yesterday to ratify a deal that had been struck between the province and the Alberta Teachers' Association (ATA), the union that represents the 40,000 teachers in the province. When two bargaining units and several school boards rejected the deal, the government responded with legislation that would force them to take the pay freeze.

"By bringing forward this legislation, they're basically saying that it didn't matter what any of those union locals and school boards said or did," Alberta Federation of Labour president Gil McGowan said. "Teachers basically didn't have a choice in whether or not to accept this contract – either they accepted it, or they would have it forced on them."

On Monday, the government announced it was tabling legislation based on a deal that had been reached between the Alberta Teachers' Association and the province. Although the deal had been ratified by 60 of Alberta's 62 school boards, one of the hold-outs was the province's largest board, the Calgary Board of Education.

"This government is taking a top-down, full-throttle, my-way-or-the-highway approach to their dealings with workers," McGowan said. "This is the same bullying approach they've taken with prison workers, and the same bullying approach they're taking with post-secondary education."

The legislation imposes a wage freeze for the first three years of the contract, and a two per cent raise in the fourth year. The legislation also includes provisions that will attempt to tackle excessive teacher hours and classroom conditions.

"Legislating the contract shows that the Redford government wasn't negotiating in good faith in the first place," McGowan said. "This decision has undermined their ability to be taken seriously at the bargaining table. Who is going to trust that they won't just resort to bargaining by fiat?"

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MEDIA CONTACTS:

Olav Rokne, AFL Communications Director at 780-289-6528 (cell) or via email [email protected].

Province does not collect fair share for conventional oil and gas

Calgary – Alberta is close to last place in collecting a fair share of royalties from conventional oil and gas.

Government budget documents obtained by the Alberta Federation of Labour show the province leading the race to the bottom on oil royalty rates. This stands in stark contrast to claims made by the Redford government in a taxpayer-funded mail out about the state of the economy in Alberta.

“Alison Redford wants us to believe – is willing to spend $350,000 trying to convince us – that her government is getting a fair price for Alberta’s natural resources,” AFL president Gil McGowan said. “The numbers show it isn’t true, and no amount of spin will make it true.”

The budget document includes a chart showing that every U.S. state is ahead of Alberta in collecting a fair share. The measurement used – called Combined Royalty and Tax Measure (CRTM) – is a composite of various forms of revenue collection and is a widely used measurement for the public share of oil and gas revenue. Every U.S. state has a CRTM of more than 50 per cent, while Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia are at less than 40 per cent.

“It’s the government’s stated goal to have one of the cheapest oil and gas royalty regimes in North America,” McGowan said. “Our government should work on behalf of Albertans who own the resource, not on behalf of oil-industry donors who want Alberta to give everything away under the smokescreen of keeping us ‘competitive.’”

Of our competitors, Louisiana gets the most out of its non-renewable resources: 60.9 per cent for natural gas and 64 per cent for conventional oil – more than 20 percentage points higher than Alberta.

Alberta’s revenue problem has become an area of ongoing public concern in light of the provincial budget of 2013, which brought in drastic cuts to services despite the province’s booming economy. Over the last ten years, Alberta has repeatedly cut royalty rates despite the findings of the 2007 Royalty Review Panel, which showed that the province does not collect enough for its oil and gas.

“The government knew that the 2013 budget deficit was on the way. Their projections showed that cuts to royalty rates would result in a deficit, but they went full-steam ahead with those royalty cuts,” McGowan said. “The reason their brochure has gone over like a lead balloon – and the reason audiences have applauded our cinema ad – is that Albertans know that we’re giving away billions to the super-rich.”

The AFL released an internal government document earlier this year that showed the last year’s deficit was not caused by the so-called ‘Bitumen Bubble,’ but was entirely due to royalty giveaways.

AFL Backgrounder: Conventional Oil and Gas Royalties

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MEDIA CONTACTS:

Olav Rokne, AFL Communications Director at 780-289-6528 (cell) or via email [email protected].

2013 BackgrounderConventional Oil and Gas Royalties

The budget document includes a chart showing that every U.S. state is ahead of Alberta in collecting a fair share. The measurement used – called Combined Royalty and Tax Measure (CRTM) – is a composite of various forms of revenue collection and is a widely used measurement for the public share of oil and gas revenue.

Government mail-out misleading about efforts to collect fair share for taxpayers

Alberta is nearly in last place in collecting a fair share of royalties from conventional oil and gas.

On Friday, May 9, the Alberta Federation of Labour will release internal government budget documents that show the province has one of the cheapest royalty regimes in North American.

“Alison Redford wants us to believe – is willing to spend $350,000 trying to convince us – that her government is getting a fair price for Alberta’s natural resources,” AFL president Gil McGowan said. “The numbers show it isn’t true, and no amount of spin will make it true.”

What:
News Conference tomorrow at 11:30 a.m.

Who:
McConanchie Room 1, Lobby Level
Delta Airport Hotel
2001 Airport Road NE, Calgary AB

When:
11:30 a.m., Friday, May 10

Who:
Alberta Federation of Labour president Gil McGowan

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MEDIA CONTACT:
Olav Rokne, AFL Communications Director at 780-289-6528 (cell) or via email [email protected].

Ever wonder how the world's oil tycoons feel about the royalty they are charged by the Alberta government? Movie theatre-goers can find out this month.

A 30-second commercial, which pokes fun at what Alberta charges oil companies in royalties, is running in theatres across the province this month - and while the ad is supposed to be cheeky and fun, it also carries a serious message, says the creator.

The ad features an older gentleman in an opulent office (complete with gold bars on his desk), being served an ice cream topped with gold sprinkles.

"Hello Albertans! I would like to thank you personally for making me so incredibly wealthy," he begins.

"Charging me next to nothing in taxes and royalties to dig your oil really helped out.

"And your province's government's underfunding of health care and education, so I could make even more millions," he adds.

The ad concludes with the tag line: "Alberta shouldn't be running out of money for essential services."

The commercial was produced for the Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL) by Better Way Alberta - a coalition that includes the AFL and Public interest Alberta - as a response to recent cuts in the provincial budget.

AFL President Gil McGowan told the Edmonton Journal the organization wants to create discussion about Alberta's low tax and royalty rates.

"What we were hoping to do with the ad, and the campaign that it's a part of, is to start a conversation with Albertans and public policy-makers about how we pay for our public services," he said.

"In a province as wealthy as Alberta, why the heck do we have a deficit in the first place?" McGowan asked in an interview with CBC Calgary.

The character in the ad has a Transylvanian accent. This choice was made partly to not "pick on anyone," McGowan told CBC, but also because the AFL feels "these oil companies — no matter where they're from — are sucking the blood out of the Alberta economy."

The $185,000 campaign, which was produced by Calgary-based Scott Communications and filmed at the Palliser Hotel in Calgary, will also feature three radio spots. They have not yet aired, but you can listen to them below.

 

 

What:

News Conference today at 4:30 PM

Where:

Glenora Room, Main Floor
Coast Edmonton Plaza Hotel
10155 - 105th Street, Edmonton, Alberta T5J 1E2

 
When:

4:30 PM, Wednesday, May 1

Who:

Alberta Federation of Labour president Gil McGowan
UFCW 401 president Doug O’Halloran
United Nurses of Alberta president Heather Smith
HSAA president Elisabeth Ballermann

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MEDIA CONTACT:

Olav Rokne, AFL Communications Director at 780-289-6528 (cell) or via email [email protected].

Draconian and punitive dues suspension is of concern to workers across Alberta 

Edmonton – Elected labour leaders representing more than 160,000 workers throughout Alberta are worried about the implications of draconian punitive measures being taken against the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE).

The presidents of the Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA), the United Nurses of Alberta (UNA), United Food and Commercial Workers Local 401 (UFCW 401) and the Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL) spoke out against the punitive measures being taken against the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees. After a four-day-long wildcat strike, the union agreed to pay $450,000 in fines, only to have additional punitive measures brought forward by the province. The province announced on Wednesday that they would have AUPE’s dues withheld as a result of the strike.

“Every crisis presents opportunities and this situation is no different. The government could have addressed the workers’ legitimate safety concerns in a timely and balanced manner. This would have improved the important relationship between a government and these workers,” AFL president Gil McGowan said. “But that opportunity has been squandered by threats, intimidation and now specter of punitive measures against the union. As a result, labour relations are worse now than they were before the strike.”

The labour leaders expressed their support of the worker’s health and safety concerns that led to the strike, and the importance of protecting a worker’s right to refuse unsafe work. The unions announced plans to create a fund to help AUPE pay the onerous financial burden of having their members’ dues withheld.

“Going after the entire union’s dues are unwise if the government wants to maintain a good relationship with its workers,” McGowan said “It creates a disincentive for a quick and reasonable resolution of conflicts. If the resolution of these kinds of job action results in punishment, then they’ll never get resolved because it will only mean more fines and more hostility.”

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MEDIA CONTACTS:

Olav Rokne, AFL Communications Director at 780-289-6528 (cell) or via email [email protected].